The goal of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity program (UNC-IMSD) program is to increase the number of under-represented minority scientists that attain PhDs in biomedical disciplines and continue on to successful scientific careers. Now, more than ever, our country must invest in training the next generation of scientists if we are to compete in the global economy. It is imperative that the next generation of scientists draw upon our whole population - including minorities and other historically disadvantaged and underserved populations. Our UNC-IMSD program will provide under-represented minority graduate students the academic assistance and supportive community required for their success. Our program will emphasize standards of excellence and provide superlative training in developing scientific networks, research collaborations and preparation of scientific manuscripts and fellowship proposals. The UNC-IMSD program will develop partnership with other NIH funded training programs on campus to promote synergy. By establishing a standard of excellence and partnerships with prestigious NIH training grants, our program will improve the climate for all URM students both in individual labs and in the scientific community at the university.